Volume control system, management server, and gaming machine and volume control method

ABSTRACT

A volume adjustment method for adjusting the volume of a plurality of gaming machines  11, 12 , . . . , N connected to a management server  2  via a network  3  includes an investigation step (S 11 ), by which the management server  2  investigates the operating condition of each of the gaming machines  11, 12 , . . . , N via the network  3 ; a calculation step (S 12 ), by which the management server  2  calculates the operating ratio of all of the gaming machines  11, 12 , . . . , N based on the results obtained at the investigation step; a volume adjustment command transmission step (S 13 ), by which the management server sends to all of the gaming machines via the network  3 , a volume adjustment command instructing adjustment of volume to the volume coordinated to the operating ratio; and a volume adjustment step (S 14 ), by which each of the gaming machines  11, 12 , . . . , N that receives the volume adjustment command adjusts their volume output in coordination to the operating ratio.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-136901 filed on May 10, 2005 inthe Japanese Patent Office; the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a volume control system for adjustingthe volume of a plurality of gaming machines, a management server and agaming machine that can be used for this kind of volume control system,and a volume control method for adjusting the volume of a plurality ofsuch gaming machines.

2. Description of Related Art

In conventional technology, a system for adjusting the volume in agaming machine is a game system including a host device and a pluralityof game devices in which screen brightness and volume in the gamingmachine is adjusted based on time (e.g. Japanese Unexamined PatentApplication Publication No. 2000-135377).

With such a gaming system as the host device detects the current timeand date and based on the time and date thus detected, data for theplaying of each game by the player at each game device is forwarded toeach game device in conformance with a predetermined assignment.

The assignment of a game for a game device is changed in coordinationwith the time zone, the date and the line of flow of the player,further, games that are meant for adults are controlled so as to only beplayed at night.

Further, this host device sets the screen brightness and volume of theaudio for a game for each game device, this volume and brightness beingchanged in coordination with the time zone and date.

That is to say, with this kind of game system a manager sets schedulingdata in advance that shows how this assignment should be made for eachtime and each date. At the host computer the current time and date isdetected and the screen brightness and audio volume of a game for eachgame device are changed based on the time and date as detected and onthe scheduling data.

With such a game system as this however, the volume of the game soundsfor each game device is adjusted in accordance with the schedule presetby the manager regardless of the number of players playing the game atthe same time. Accordingly, if the number of players playing a game atthe same time increases, the total of the volume from the game audioincreases, leading to complaints from players such as “the audio comingfrom game sounds around me was too noisy, so I couldn't even hear thesounds coming out of the game device I was playing”, thereby reducingthe enjoyment experienced by players at each different game device.

The issues broached by this invention are accordingly, to provide avolume adjustment system that can adjust the sound coming from gamingmachine in response to the condition of games occurring on a pluralityof gaming machines, to provide a management server that can be appliedfor such a gaming system, a gaming machine and a volume adjustmentmethod that can be used to adjust the sound on a plurality of thesegaming machines.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present invention is a volumeadjustment system (e.g. volume adjustment system 1) in which amanagement server (e.g. management server 2) is connected to a pluralityof gaming machines (e.g. gaming machines 11-30) via a network (e.g.network 3), wherein the management server provides investigating unit(e.g. investigating unit 21) for investigating the operating conditionof each gaming machine, calculating unit (e.g. calculating unit 26) forcalculating the operating ratio based on the results of theinvestigation provided by the investigating unit, and transmission unit(e.g. transmission unit 31) for sending commands to each gaming machineproviding instructions that make the sound coming from each gamingmachine conform to the operating ratio calculated by the calculatingunit, and each gaming machine provides sound output unit (e.g. soundamp/speakers 46) for outputting sound, volume adjustment unit (e.g.sound circuit 44) for adjusting the volume of sound output from thesound output unit and control unit (e.g. CPU 41) for operating thevolume adjustment unit based on the commands from the management server.

In this application, “are connected” unit not only a wired connectionbut includes also a wireless connection and “operating condition” unitboth operating and not operating, where for example a video game or demoperformance is operating if it is being run and is determined as notoperating if it is not being run.

According to a second aspect, the present invention is a managementserver capable of sending requests or commands to a plurality of gamingmachines and of receiving reports back from each of the gaming machines,this management server providing investigating unit that investigatesthe operating condition of each of the gaming machines by sending arequest for an operating condition report to each of the gaming machinesand receiving an operating report showing that the gaming machine isoperating from each of the gaming machines; calculating unit thatreceives an operating report from the investigating unit and outputs avalue as the operating ratio, derived by dividing the total number ofoperating reports by the total number of the gaming machines; andtransmission unit that receives the operating ratio from the calculatingunit, determines the volume in relation to the operating ratio from theoperating ratio/volume relationship stored in advance and sends acommand to each of the gaming machines with an instruction to adjust thevolume output from the gaming machines such that that volume correspondsto the operating ratio.

According to a third aspect, the present invention is a gaming machinecapable of receiving a command or request from a management server andsending a report to the management server, this gaming machine providingaudio output unit for outputting sound; volume adjustment unit foradjusting the volume of sound output from the audio output unit; andcontrol unit for sending a reply to the management server indicatingwhether or not the gaming machine itself is operating once a request foran operating condition report is received from the management server andcontrolling the volume adjustment unit in compliance with the volumeadjustment command once a volume adjustment command has been receivedfrom the management server.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is a volumeadjustment method for adjusting the volume of a plurality of gamingmachines connected via a network to a management server, this methodcomprising an investigation step (such as S11) by which the managementserver investigates the operating condition of each gaming machine viathe network; a calculation step (such as S12), by which the managementserver calculates the operating ratio as it applies to all the gamingmachines, based on the results of the investigation conducted at theinvestigation step; a volume adjustment command transmission step (suchas S13), by which the management server sends to all of the gamingmachines a volume adjustment command instructing adjustment of volume tothe volume coordinated to the operating ratio; and a volume adjustmentstep by which each gaming machine that receives the volume adjustmentcommand adjusts the volume output in coordination to the operatingratio.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the flow occurring in the volumeadjustment process for an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between operating ratio and volume for theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram providing an outline of the volume adjustmentsystem for the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a gamingmachine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of themanagement server according to an embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 6 is an explanatory drawing providing an example of the adjustmentof volume for each of the gaming machines, considering also thearrangement of the gaming machines, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram providing anoutline of the volume adjustment system according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, in the volume adjustmentsystem 1 according to this embodiment a first gaming machine 11, asecond gaming machine 12, . . . , and N gaming machine N are connectedto a management server 2 via a local area network 3. In this way, themanagement server 2 and each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , andN are able to communicate.

For each of these gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , and N it is acondition for the commencement of a game that a coin be inserted. Eachof these gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , and N can play videogames suchas slot machine games, poker, blackjack, roulette or the like. Theinternal configuration of the first gaming machine 11 will now bedescribed. The second gaming machine 12, . . . , and n gaming machine Nhave the same internal configuration as this first gaming machine 11.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of thefirst gaming machine 11. As shown in FIG. 4, a control part 40 isprovided in the first gaming machine 11. In this control part 40, readonly memory (ROM) 42, random access memory (RAM) 43, interface circuit(I/F) 48, sound circuit 44 and graphic display circuit 45 are connectedto a central processing unit (CPU) 41.

The ROM 42 stores control programs for each kind of videogame,performance screen/performance sound data, rule explanation documentsand also, other control programs. An operating part 49, inserted-coinsensor 50 and communication circuit 51 are connected to the CPU 41 viathe I/F 48. The communication circuit 51 is connected to a network 3.The CPU 41 maintains the required work area in the RAM 43 when a controlprogram stored in the ROM 42 is run, and executes each kind of videogamebased on the control signals from the control part 49, the inserted-coinsensor 50 and the communication circuit 51.

Further, the CPU 41 controls sound amp/speakers 46 via a sound circuit44, and can output performance sound for each kind of videogame from thesound amp/speakers 46. The volume of sound output from the soundamp/speakers 46 can be adjusted by control instructions from the soundcircuit 44. Further, the CPU 41 controls a display device 47 via agraphic display circuit 45 and can output performance screens of eachkind of videogame on the display device 47.

Moreover, the CPU 41 is connected to the network 3 via the communicationcircuit 51 connected to the I/F 48. As shown in FIG. 3, the managementserver 2 is connected to the network 3. Accordingly, the CPU 41 of FIG.4 can communicate with the management server 2 of FIG. 3 via thecommunication circuit 51 and the network 3.

Each kind of table and control program corresponding to instructions ofthe management server 2, these being related to the volume adjustmentmethod described subsequently, are stored in the ROM 42. FIG. 5 is ablock diagram showing the internal configuration of the managementserver according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 5, the management server 2 provides investigating unit 21,calculating unit 26 and volume adjustment command transmission unit 31.The investigating unit 21, the calculating unit 26 and the volumeadjustment command transmission unit 31 are connected via a bus 38.

The investigating unit 21 includes an operating condition report requestpart 22 that requests a report on the operating condition of each of thegaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N and an operating condition determiningpart 23 that determines the operating condition of each of the gamingmachines 11, 12, . . . , N based on the content of the report sent fromthose gaming machines. The operating condition report request part 22sends the operating condition report request to each of the gamingmachines 11, 12, . . . , N a via a communication circuit 36 and thenetwork 3.

The calculating unit 26 has a calculation operation storage part 27storing in advance the formula for calculating operating ratio, and acalculation execution part 28 that reads this calculation operation out,and performs the calculation using the calculation operation thus read.The following calculation formula is stored in the calculation operationstorage part 27:operating ratio=(number of gaming machines determined as currentlyoperating)/total number of gaming machines×100

The volume adjustment command transmission unit 31 has an operatingratio/volume relationship storage part 32, that stores a relationship ofcorrespondence between operating ratio and volume in advance and avolume read part 33 that reads the volume corresponding to the operatingratio from that operating ratio/volume relationship. This volume readpart 33 sends to each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N via thecommunication circuit 36 and the network 3, a command for theperformance of a volume adjustment such that the volume output from eachof the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N is adjusted to become thevolume corresponding to the operating ratio.

The volume adjustment method performed by the volume adjustment system 1according to this embodiment will now be described. According to thisvolume adjustment method the volume from each of the gaming machines 11,12, . . . , N is adjusted in response to commands from the managementserver 2.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between operating ratio and volume forthis embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows what is stored inthe management server 2. According to this volume adjustment system 1 ofthis embodiment, the operating ratio of each of the gaming machines 11,12, . . . , N is obtained, the volume having a one-to-one correspondenceto the operating ratio thus obtained is read from the relationshipdiagram shown in FIG. 2 and the volume of each of the gaming machines11, 12, . . . , N is adjusted to that read volume.

In the relationship diagram shown in FIG. 2, volume from each of thegaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N is divided into different levels with10 being the maximum level and 0 the minimum level (no sound) of volume.FIG. 2 illustrates that when the operating ratio is 0%, being the ratiowhen none of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N is operating, thecorresponding volume level is 7, while when the operating ratio is 100%,being the ratio when all of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N areoperating, the corresponding volume level is 4.

In FIG. 2 a straight line joins the volume level 7 corresponding to theoperating ratio 0% and the volume level 4 corresponding to the operatingratio 100%, and the volume representing the one-to-one correspondence tothe operating ratio is obtained from the straight line.

The relationship diagram shown in FIG. 2 provides a single example, butthe volume corresponding to an operating ratio can be obtained fromother relationships.

For example the relationship of the levels may be such that when theoperating ratio is above 0% and not more than 25%, the volume is 7, whenthe operating ratio is not less than 25% and not more than 50% thevolume is 6, when the operating ratio is not less than 50% and not morethan 75% the volume is 5 and when the operating ratio is not less than75% up to 100% the volume is 4.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the flow occurring in the volumeadjustment process. As shown in FIG. 1, firstly, at step 11 (hereinafter“step” been shortened to “S”), the management server 2 ascertains theoperating condition of each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N.Basically, a request for transmission of a signal showing the operatingcondition is sent via the network 3 to each of the gaming machines 11,12, . . . , N. Each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N then sendsa signal indicating the fact that they are currently operating only whena game is presently being performed on that machine, to the managementserver 2, while at other times, a machine sends to the management server2 a signal indicating that it is not operating. Even when the game isnot being played, for example, when a demo performance is underwayoutputting certain sound effects, the signal indicating that the machineis currently operating is sent to the management server 2.

At S12 the management server 2 calculates the operating ratio.Basically, this unit obtaining the operating ratio in a percentage unitby multiplying by 100 the quotient obtained by dividing the total numberof machines among each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N to whicha signal was sent at S11 and which then sent a signal indicating thatthey are currently operating, by the total number of gaming machines.

At S13 a volume adjustment command is sent from the management server 2to each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N. This volume adjustmentcommand instructs that the volume from each of the gaming machines 11,12, . . . , N must be the volume corresponding to the operating ratio.

At S14 each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N adjusts the volumeoutput from itself to become the volume corresponding to the operatingratio. The gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N receive the volumeadjustment command from the management server 2 via the network 3 andthen the CPU 41 controls the sound circuit 44 such that the volume (thatis to say the volume corresponding to the operating ratio) included inthe volume adjustment command is the volume output from the soundamp/speakers 46.

As described in detail above, with this volume adjustment system 1, whenthe volume adjustment process shown in FIG. 1 is run, the managementserver 2 ascertains the operating condition of each of the gamingmachines 11, 12, . . . , N via the network 3 (S11), the managementserver 2 then calculates the operating ratio of all of the gamingmachines 11, 12, . . . , N based on the result of that investigation atS11 (S12), sends a command, via the network 3, instructing that volumebe adjusted to volume corresponding to the operating ratio as calculated(S13), before each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N adjusts thevolume based on that command (S14). In this way, the volume of all ofthe gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N connected to the management server2 via the network 3, is adjusted.

Based on the result of the investigation into the operating condition ofeach of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N, the management server 2obtains the volume corresponding to the operating ratio from therelationship diagram of FIG. 2, and the volume of each of the gamingmachines 11, 12, . . . , N is adjusted to agree with that level ofvolume so obtained by the management server 2, thus the volumeadjustment at each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N can beadapted to suit the circumstances in response to the conditions fromeach of those gaming machines.

In this way, if the operating ratio becomes high, the volume output fromeach of the gaming machines can be lowered such that even when themajority of the gaming machines are operating, a situation in which thesound being output from surrounding gaming machines becomes noisy makingit difficult to hear the sound being output from a particular gamingmachine is able to be avoided.

Note that the present invention is not intended to be limited by theabove description of an embodiment. Various other modifications will beapparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of this invention.

For example, in the volume adjustment system 1 of this embodiment theoperating ratio of each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N isobtained, then the volume representing the one-to-one correspondence ofthe operating ratio so obtained is requested using the relationaldiagram of FIG. 2, and the volume of each of the gaming machines 11, 12,. . . , N is adjusted uniformly to the required volume level. If, in thelight of the arrangement of each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . ,N within a game hall however, this point is changed such that that thevolume of each of the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N is individuallyadjusted to a level appropriate to the respective machines, it ispossible to improve the audio environment within the game hall bymatching the environment to the respective operating conditions of eachof the gaming machines 11, 12, . . . , N.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory drawing providing an example of the adjustmentof volume for each of the gaming machines, considering also thearrangement of the gaming machines. As shown in the example of FIG. 6,the first gaming machine 11, second gaming machine 12, third gamingmachine 13, and fourth gaming machine 14 (hereinafter “first gamingmachine group”) are arranged in mutual proximity, while the fifth gamingmachine 15, sixth gaming machine 16, seventh gaming machine 17 andeighth gaming machine 18 (hereinafter “second gaming machine group”) arealso arranged in mutual proximity. However, the first gaming machinegroup and the second gaming machine group are not arranged in proximityto each other. In this case, it is not the operating ratio of all thegaming machines but the operating ratio of the gaming machines of therespective groups that provides the basis for the determination of thevolume of the gaming machines of each group. For example, when all ofthe gaming machines 11 through 14 of the first group are operating butnone of the gaming machines of the second group are operating, that isto say, when the operating ratio of the gaming machines of the firstgroup is 100% but the operating ratio of all of the gaming machines is50%, then volume 4 corresponding to the operating ratio 100% from therelationship diagram of FIG. 2 is read, and a command is sentinstructing that the volume of the first gaming machine group beadjusted to 4.

1. A volume adjustment system in which a management server is connectedto a plurality of gaming machines via a network the management servercomprising: investigating unit for investigating an operating conditionof each gaming machine; calculating unit for calculating an operatingratio based on a result of an investigation provided by theinvestigating unit; and transmission unit for sending commands to eachgaming machine providing instructions that make a sound coming from eachgaming machine correspond to the operating ratio calculated by thecalculating unit; and each gaming machine comprising: sound output unitfor outputting sound; volume adjustment unit for adjusting a volume ofsound output from the sound output unit; and control unit for operatingthe volume adjustment unit based on the commands from the managementserver.
 2. A management server capable of sending requests or commandsto a plurality of gaming machines and of receiving reports back fromeach of the gaming machines, the management server comprising:investigating unit for investigating an operating condition of each ofthe gaming machines by sending a request for an operating conditionreport to each of the gaming machines and receiving the operatingcondition report showing whether or not the gaming machine is operatingfrom each of the gaming machines; calculating unit for receiving anoperating report from each of the investigating unit and outputs a valueas an operating ratio, derived by dividing a total number of operatingreports showing that the gaming machine is operating by a total numberof the gaming machines; and transmission unit for receiving theoperating ratio from the calculating unit, and sending a command to eachof the gaming machines with an instruction to adjust a volume outputfrom the gaming machines such that that volume corresponds to theoperating ratio and the volume is determined from an operatingratio/volume relationship stored in advance.
 3. A gaming machine capableof receiving a command or request from a management server and sending areport to the management server, this gaming machine comprising:operating condition reporting unit for sending a reply to the managementserver indicating whether or not the gaming machine itself is operatingonce a request for an operating condition report is received from themanagement server; audio output unit for outputting sound; volumeadjustment unit for adjusting a volume of sound output from the audiooutput unit; and control unit for controlling the volume adjustment unitin compliance with a volume adjustment command once the volumeadjustment command has been received from the management server.
 4. Avolume adjustment method for adjusting a volume of a plurality of gamingmachines connected via a network to a management server, the methodcomprising the steps of: investigating an operating condition of eachgaming machine via the network; calculating an operating ratio based onthe results of the investigation conducted at the investigating step;and adjusting a volume output from each gaming machine, the volumecorresponding to the operating ratio.
 5. The volume adjustment methodaccording to claim 4, wherein the gaming machines are divided intogaming machines of a first group and gaming machines of a second group,the calculating step involves calculation of an operating ratio of afirst group and an operating ratio of a second group, and the adjustingstep involves an adjustment of a first volume output from each of gamingmachines of the first group as the first volume corresponds to theoperating ratio of the gaming machines of the first group, and anadjustment of a second volume output from each of gaming machines of thesecond group as the second volume corresponds to the operating ratio ofthe gaming machines of the second group.